


with no space between us

by bananannabeth



Series: things you said when... [8]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/M, post-tartarus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-04
Updated: 2018-01-04
Packaged: 2019-02-28 02:37:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13261854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bananannabeth/pseuds/bananannabeth
Summary: a request for: things you said under the stars and in the grass | things you said when i was crying | things you said with no space between us





	with no space between us

Annabeth named the constellations in her mind, picking out their shapes and connecting the dots in the night sky, recalling the stories that accompanied each one. If she focused hard enough on counting every star in the sky, she thought, maybe she’d be able to escape her memories.

 

In Tartarus, there had been times where she’d honestly believed that she’d never see the stars again; that she’d never make it out of there, never get to breath fresh air and see blue sky and know a world that wasn’t made entirely of darkness and death.

 

She had made it though. She was out, and she was free - but not really.

 

Every time she heard an unexpected noise she jumped; every time Percy was running late she panicked, convinced that he was gone again; every time someone touched her she flinched. She didn’t feel at home in her own skin anymore. It was like a part of her had stayed behind, trapped in Tartarus. She didn’t know how to fix it.

 

She didn’t know she was crying until Percy’s hand brushed the side of her face.

 

“What are you doing up here?” he asked softly, even though he must have already known.

 

“Reminding myself,” she said, pressing her hands against the green grass, feeling the blades bend beneath her palms, registering the cool dirt ground. “That this is real.”

 

“It’s real,” he said, voice gentle and calm and not at all condescending. He settled down beside her, lying flat on his back on the top of Half Blood Hill, and grasped her hand where it lay between them. “The ground is solid, the stars are shining, and we’re together.”

 

Annabeth shifted, lifting their clasped hands up onto her stomach and moving so that their sides were pressed right together. When she spoke next her voice was cracked and broken. “Do you - do you worry, sometimes… that it’s not going to get better?”

 

Percy turned his head to stare at her, green eyes shining in the moonlight. Annabeth kept her gaze directed firmly at the stars. 

 

“It’s totally normal, Annabeth,” he said. “to feel like the whole world’s changed. Because it has. And yeah, it’s going to take some time to get used to it, but… We’ll get there. We’re going to be fine.”

 

She licked her lip and tried to ignore the tears streaming from the corners of her eyes and falling uncomfortably into her ears.

 

“Hey.” He rolled over to lean over the top of her, propped up on one elbow. “Look at me. Come here.”

 

When she refused to look at him, trying furiously to blink the tears away and bring the stars back into focus, Percy moved so she was pinned underneath him, supporting his weight on his forearms. 

 

“Sorry for blocking your view, but this handsome face has to be some compensation,” he joked, and she smiled despite herself. 

 

The sight of it caused him to grin widely, and he dropped his arms slightly so that their chests were pressed together and there was no space between them at all. Annabeth could feel his heart beating against hers; a strong, steady rhythm. She took a deep breath and forced herself to hold his gaze.

 

“I’m here,” she said. “I’m listening.”

 

He kissed the tip of her nose. “You are here. And you’re going to be fine. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

 

Annabeth closed her eyes as he kissed her cheek, eyelashes fluttering against her temple. She could feel solid ground beneath her; Percy’s comfortable weight above her; and over his shoulder she could see the stars. She was going to be okay.


End file.
